Clouded Leopard

The Clouded Leopard is a beautiful cat. By the name one would think that they are a “type” of Leopard but they are not. Clouded Leopards have pale yellow/brown fur with cloud-like markings, hence came the name. Their spots are large irregular shapes that are bark brown/ black around the edges and lighter in the middle. The undersides are lighter in color and are spotted, as are their short, stout legs and head. The neck and back spots are semi merged into stripes. They have a thick tail with similar markings as the main body. They have yellow eyes. The male Clouded Leopards weight about 50 pounds while the females about 35-40 pounds. Their tail is 3 feet long, as long as their body, which is great for balancing. They can descend head first from a tree because the hind feet have flexible ankle joints so the paw can rotate greatly and broad paws that are good for grasping. They have very long canine teeth and an elongated skull, which is different from other wild cats.

Clouded Leopards live in Southeast Asia from Nepal and southern China through Thailand, Indonesia, and Borneo mostly in lowland tropical rainforest but also some have been found in dry woodlands and secondary forests. They are solitarily like most cats.

The Clouded Leopard is an amazing climber. They can hang by their rear legs on branches and their flexible ankle joints aid them from climbing down trees and they can climb upside down underneath tree branches. They prey on deer, cattle, reptiles, birds, wild pigs and monkeys. They hunt at day or night, stalking their prey or jumping out of trees at them.

The gestation period of a Clouded Leopard is 93 days. They give birth from March to August. They give birth to 1 to 5 cubs per litter. Cubs are independent at approximately 10 months of age. A cub’s fur is a yellowish-gray at birth; they get adult markings in the first six months. At about 5 weeks of birth the cubs are active.

Scientific name is Neofelis nebulosa